Ornamental member



M. F. HAAS ORNAMENTAL MEMBER Dec. 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.24, 1952 2// ,UZWWQM ATTORNEKS.

Dec. 28, 1954 M. F. HAAS 2,697,892

ORNAMENTAL. MEMBER Filed Sept. 24, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.M/IRG/IRET F H/ms BY United States Patent ORNAMENTAL MEMBER Margaret F.Haas, New York, N. Y.

Application September 24, 1952, Serial No. 311,275

3 Claims. (Cl. 41-13) The present invention relates to a novel andimproved ornamental member simulating flowers, immortelles, or the like,and to a process of forming such members.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with thedescription, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing steps in the process ofmaking the ornamental members of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a typical and illustrative form of theornamental member of the present invention in a partially completedstage;

Figure 3 is a similar view of a slightly different form of theinvention;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing steps in a modifiedprocess of the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a different form, as produced by theprocess illustrated in Figure 4.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel andimproved process for the formation of ornamental members simulatingflowers, immortelles or other objects and which may be used in variousways as ornaments on millinery, coats, dresses and other garments,Christmas trees, Window decorations or as immortelles. A further objectof the invention is the provision of a novel and improved ornamentalobject which has a distinctive appearance, is durable and may be made ina wide variety of appearances merely by changing the arrangement, thenumber, the colors, or the sizes of its component parts.

According to the present invention, there is provided a process offorming ornamental members, as Well as ornamental members formedthereby, which comprises knotting a strand or strands of relativelyheavy and relatively stiff flexible filament, the knots being atregularly spaced points, and providing portions of the strand or strandswhich extend beyond the knots, these portions being longer than thespace between adjacent knots, the ends of the strand or strands beingbrought together and fastened with the series of knots arranged in acurved series between the ends of the strands, and with the extendingportions of the strands at the knots projecting outwardly from theseries either as individual loops or as the cut ends formed from suchloops.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings which show thevarious steps of the process, as well as typical, illustrative andpreferred embodiments of the invention, the ornamental member is formedfrom a long length of plastic filament 10, usually from about 0.4 toabout 1.5 mm. in diameter and of any desired color, and preferably about0.8 mm. in diameter, the plastic filament having suflicient stiffness sothat when it is coiled into loops about inch in diameter or less it isrelatively rigid and considerable force is necessary to distort thecurved shape of the loop. Many different plastics are suitable but Iprefer to use heavy filament vinylidene chloride ice (Saran), vinylchloride-acetate copolymer (Vinylite), plasticized cellulose acetate ornylon.

As shown in Figure l, the filament is knotted by forming a coil 12 and aloop 14 and by pushing the loop 14 through the coil 12 and placing theloop over a pair of parallel rigid members 16, such as heavy knittingneedles, after which the filament is drawn tight to form a knot 18 atthe ends of the loop. Thereafter the loop is pushed along the pair ofknitting needles, and the operation of forming loops and knots andpositioning the loops on the needles is repeated until a considerablenumber, usually from seven to fifteen, have been formed with the knots18 closely adjacent each other. When a sufficient number of loops andknots have been formed, with the loops 14 relatively large compared tothe spacing of the knots 18, the end of the strand of filament is cut,and the loops 14 may be slid off the knitting needles 16. It is in thisoperation, that it is particularly useful to have used two knittingneedles, as it is found that one needle may be easily withdrawn from apair of them, while the withdrawal of a single needle Where only one hasbeen used is somewhat troublesome.

When a relatively large number of loops 14 have been formed, as inmaking a larger ornament, it is often desirable to stiffen the eventualornament by means of a relatively stilt piece of wire which may beinserted along the length of the two needles 16 before removal of theloops 14, and the narrow groove between the two needles forms aconvenient slot for this insertion of the wire member 20.

After the loops have been removed from the needles, the opposite ends 22of the strand 10 are brought together, thereby forming a generallycircular row or series of loops 14, as shown in Figure 2, and the twoend portions 22 are placed parallel to each other and bound fast to eachother to secure them in looped position. This binding may be by means ofa separate piece of wire coiled around the ends 22, but where the wire20 has been used to stiffen the ornament, the ends of the wire may bebrought together adjacent to the ends 22 and may be coiled around thestrand ends 22, as at 24 to hold the strand ends as well as the wireends together to secure the looped series of loops 14 and knots 18 inthe form shown. Then, the stem may be wrapped by means of a narrow stripof adhesive tape 26.

Figure 3 illustrates a further development of the present invention inwhich two ornaments of the type shown in Figure 2, but of differentsizes are combined into a single ornament, and a small central portion28, resembling a pistil, on a stem 30 may be assembled with the ends 22by means of the coiled ends of the wire 20. However, in Figure 3, thesmaller loop of knots 18 is small enough so that the strengthening wireloop member 20 is not needed and has been omitted, although the entirestructure is secured together by means of a coiled wire 32 which iseventually wrapped with the adhesive tape 26 to form the completedornament.

The monofilament 10 is shown in Figure 3 as being of one color on theouter or rear series of loops 14, and of a different color on thesmaller looped component at the front of the assembled ornament.Additional variety can be introduced by using a plastic filament whichhas a longitudinal core of a relatively bright color and is surroundedby a somewhat transparent sheath of a different color or by a sheathwhich is substantially colorless and transparent, the two layers beinghandled as a single filament, with the sheath fitting snugly on the coreand sometimes bonded thereto.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of the present invention andas shown one or more strands 10 of the plastic filament are knotted andlooped on the needle member 16 to form a loosel yspaced series of knots38 which are rightly drawn about the needle. When a sufficient number ofthe knots have been formed, the knots and loops 40 being substantiallyuniform, the loops are cut, as shown in the lefthand portion of Figure4, thereby providing relatively long, free ends 42 of the filament 10,the ends being substantially longer than the spaces between adjacentpairs of knots 38.

This cutting of the loops may be carried out by drawing a razor blade orother sharp knife across the upper face of the needle 16 on the sideopposite the row of knots 38.

If desired a relatively fine and stiff piece of wire 46 may be passedthrough the loops 40 and drawn tightly into the form shown in Figure 5,with its ends brought together and wrapped around stem portion 44 in amanner. similar to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. The use of thiswire is, however, restricted to instances where extreme' rigidity isdesired since otherwise this form of my invention possesses suflicientrigidity without the use of the wire.

After assembling the strands as shown in Figure 5 with the ends thereofbrought together in parallel relation and the knots 38 disposedgenerally in a circle the cut ends 42 of the filament stand out awayfrom the knots in an irregular manner, so as to provide a pleasing andornamental appearance to the entire assembly.

The ornamental members, simulating flowers, thus produced (Figure 5) arefastened, with fine wire or otherwise, to natural twigs or other fittingsupports.

If desired the strands 10 may be of different colors, but preferably twosuch strands 10 are used, and ordinarily they would be of the samecolor.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my prior filedapplication Serial No. 274,387, filed March 1, 1952, now abandoned.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What is claimed is:

1. An ornamental member comprising a continuous strand of flexiblefilament, said strand having a series of strand and looped strandportions extending outwardly from each of said knots, said strand havingits ends positioned together whereby said series of knots are formedinto a substantially circular closed ring having said looped strandportions extending outwardly therefrom, and a relatively stiif wiremember encircling said series of knots and interweaved with said loopedstrand portions to maintain them in a substantially flat position, saidwire member having its ends coiled about said strand ends to hold saidends together.

2. An ornamental member as described in claim 1 having a substantiallysmaller and similar ornamental member centrally positioned and securedthereto, and a simulated pistil centrally positioned and secured to saidornamental members.

3. An ornamental member as described in claim 1 wherein said strandcomprises a plurality of strands of flexible filaments and said loopedstrand portions are severed at their bight.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,992,873 Mayer Feb. 26, 1935 2,337,099 Gutzmann Dec. 21, 1943OTHER REFERENCES Ashley, C. W., Ashley Book of Knots, cpw. 1946.

N. Y. 16, N. Y. P. 9, Figure C.

